OSU Faces Baseball Endurance Test
March 14, 2000
FRIDAY, MARCH 17 - MONDAY, MARCH 20
Oregon State at Continental Express Classic,
College Station, Texas (host: Texas A&M)
FRIDAY, MARCH 17
Oregon State vs. Central Michigan, 11 a.m. PST
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
Oregon State vs. Ohio State, 8 a.m. PST
(Radio: Live on KLOO-AM 1340)
Oregon State at Texas A&M, 6 p.m. PST
(Radio: Live on KLOO-AM 1340)
SUNDAY, MARCH 19
Oregon State vs. Ohio State, 11 a.m. PST
(Radio: Live on KLOO-AM 1340)
MONDAY, MARCH 20
Oregon State vs. Central Michigan, 11 a.m. PST
Oregon State at Texas A&M, 4 p.m. PST
(Radio: Live on KLOO-AM 1340)
Oregon State (10-7 overall, 0-0 Pacific-10) will put its recent hot streak to the test this weekend, playing six games in four days during the Continental Express Classic tournament at Texas A&M's Olsen Field. The Beavers will play two games each against the host Aggies (12-11, 5-4 Big 12), Ohio State (9-3, 0-0 Big Ten) and Central Michigan (7-4, 0-0 Mid-American).
"Right now, we couldn't ask for a much better way of finding out where we are as a club," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. "We're going into a great college baseball environment and getting to play a lot of games against good competition.
"These are three solid ballclubs we'll be playing. We got a look at Texas A&M in Albuquerque (during a 9-4 loss in the Spalding Baseball Fiesta) and they're a little young, but they've got a load of talent and they look like they're getting better and better as the season goes on. Ohio State was also an NCAA tournament team a year ago, they're a strong program in a conference with a great baseball tradition. Central Michigan looks like they've been playing well early in the season and they'll be a strong club."
The Beavers have won nine of their last 11 games, and their recent seven-game winning streak was their longest in almost two years. During that 11-game span, OSU is batting .375 as a team and averaging over 11 runs per game.
"We've been swinging the bats pretty well the past few weeks," Casey said. "But it's not like we're completely where we want to be at the plate as a team. We've had some scoring chances in key situations where we didn't follow through, and there are still a number of people who are struggling to get things going offensively."
The Beavers' pitching staff has also begun to put things together over the past few weeks. Among the notable performances were wins by Scott Nicholson and Mark Newell last weekend against Washington State.
"Some guys on our staff are starting to throw well with a little bit of consistency, and that's good to see," Casey said. "Right now, we need to have a few more guys join that - come in and pitch in a manner that sets the tone for a ballgame.
"We've got a lot of pitchers on this club that we haven't gotten as much of a look at as we'd have liked by now. But with six games this weekend, a lot of those guys are going to get their chance and hopefully some of them will show they deserve more innings as we get into the season."
The six-game tournament starts a run of 11 games in 10 days for Oregon State, wrapping up with a four-game series at home against Cal State-Northridge on March 24-26 before beginning Pacific-10 play against UCLA on March 31-April 2.
"We've been making progress - some solid progress - and that's been rewarding for both the guys on the club and the coaches," Casey said. "We've taken some real strides since the start of the season, and we've shown that we can be a decent ballclub.
"But to do that, we've got to do all the little things right and play the game the way it was meant to be played. We're still at a stage where, every so often, we don't follow through on some things and it winds up costing us. I think our club sees games like Sunday (an 11-6 loss to Washington State) and knows that we've still got a lot of work to do before we can be as competitive in the Pac-10 as we'd like to be."
Central Michigan spent last weekend at the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. The Chippewas went 1-2, losing to St. John's 6-5 and Notre Dame 5-0 before beating Iowa 9-3. CMU is led by senior outfielder Jake Sanborn, who is batting .422 with 0 homers and 9 RBIs. Freshman infielder Mike Gates is hitting .348 with 1 homer and 5 RBIs while senior infielder Scott Pieratt is hitting .333 with 1 homer and 4 RBIs.
Ohio State was at the Stateline Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. last weekend and went 3-1. The Buckeyes beat Marshall 10-7 and Fairfield 13-6 before splitting a pair of games with host Winthrop, losing 7-2 and winning 7-6. Senior outfielder Jason Turner is hitting .431 with 4 homers and 15 RBIs for Ohio State. Senior infielder John Mayor is batting .378 with 0 homers and 9 RBIs, senior infielder Chad Ehrnsberger is batting .372 with 4 homers and 9 RBIs and senior infielder Mike Check is batting .362 with 1 homer and 11 RBIs.
Texas A&M took 2 of 3 games from Texas Tech in a Big 12 series last weekend at home, losing 8-5 and then winning 2-1 and 16-4. Junior catcher Jason Greminger is batting .419 with 6 homers and 23 RBIs for the Aggies. Sophomore outfielder Carlos Sepulveda is batting .355 with 5 homers and 23 RBIs, freshman outfielder David Evans batting .352 with 1 homer and 5 RBIs and junior outfielder Daylan Holt is batting .321 with 4 homers and 15 RBIs.
OREGON STATE PROBABLE LINEUP:
C-Bryan Ingram, so., Everett, Wash. (Cascade HS), .381, 0 HRs, 5 RBIs
or Chris Biles, fr., Tigard, Ore. (Tigard HS), .600, 1 HR, 7 RBIs
1B-Joe Gerber, sr., Portland, Ore. (Grant HS), .403, 1 HR, 29 RBIs
2B-Zach Gordon, jr., Simi Valley, Calif. (Moorpark JC), .214, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs
or Brian Barden, fr., Bonita, Calif. (St. Augustine HS), .375, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
3B-Brian Barden, fr., Bonita, Calif. (St. Augustine HS), .375, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
or Tim Dryden, jr., Roseburg, Ore. (Lane CC), .400, 1 HR, 7 RBIs
SS-Will Hudson, fr., Fountain Valley, Calif. (Fountain Valley HS), .245, 0 HRs, 7 RBIs
OF-Eric Stark, jr., Sumner, Wash. (Sumner HS), .200, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs
OF-Josh Carter, so., Fallbrook, Calif. (Fallbrook HS), .407, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs
OF-Drew Hedges, sr., Portland, Ore. (Beaverton HS), .468, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs
or Rod Gott, sr., Ravensdale, Wash. (Green River CC), .222, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs
or Jackson Coleman, jr., Soldotna, Alaska (Eastern Arizona JC), .273, 0 HRs, 7 RBIs
DH-Curtis Davis, jr., Corvallis, Ore. (Corvallis HS), .167, 0 HRs, 2 RBIs
or Andy Jarvis, fr., Renton, Wash. (Liberty HS), .300, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs
(Tentative starting pitching rotation)
RHP-Thad Johnson, jr., Santa Rosa, Calif. (Santa Rosa JC), 1-1, 6.85 ERA
LHP-Scott Nicholson, jr., Longview, Wash. (Lower Columbia CC), 3-2, 5.90 ERA
RHP-Mark Newell, sr., Salem, Ore. (Jefferson HS), 2-1, 4.70 ERA
Note: Starters for final 3 games of Continental Express Classic to be announced.
ALL-TIME VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: This will be the first-ever baseball meeting between Oregon State and Central Michigan.
Oregon State has an all-time record of 1-0 against Ohio State. The only previous meeting was in 1990, when the Beavers took an 11-10 win in the Spartan Classic at San Jose State.
Oregon State has an all-time record of 0-2 against Texas A&M in a series dating back to 1988. The Beavers lost to the Aggies 9-4 earlier this season in the Spalding Baseball Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M., the only previous meeting was a 16-11 win by Texas A&M in a 1988 tournament at Fresno State.
INJURY REPORT: Junior pitcher Don Stykel (right shoulder) is probable. Junior catcher Kory Thaut (right shoulder) is probable.
RECENT OREGON STATE NOTES: Oregon State's bullpen pulled off a tough task in last weekend's series against Washington State. In the 3-game home series, Beaver relievers did not allow an inherited runner to score ... OSU's earned run average for the series against the Cougars was 5.00, almost a full point below the Beavers' season average ... Oregon State has been on a roll at the plate in the last 11 games. During that time, OSU is batting .375 as a team and averaging over 11 runs per game, the Beavers' slugging percentage in those 11 games is .558. Also, the Beavers have come up with at least 10 hits in each of their last 11 games ... some individuals in OSU's lineup have also been on a tear over the past 3 weeks. In that span, Joe Gerber is batting .460 with 9 doubles, 1 homer and 22 RBIs, Drew Hedges is batting .556 with 2 doubles, 2 homers and 11 RBIs, Brian Barden is batting .455 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer and 9 RBIs, Chris Biles is batting .750 (9-for-12) with 2 doubles, 1 homer and 7 RBIs, and Josh Carter is batting .436 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer and 14 RBIs ... in his last 4 appearances, OSU lefthander Scott Nicholson is 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA, in those 22 innings, he has allowed 8 runs (8 earned) on 20 hits while walking just 2 and striking out 22 ... OSU catcher Bryan Ingram has thrown out 4 of 9 runners attempting to steal against him this year, and opponents are just 9-for-18 overall on stolen base attempts ... for the season, OSU is batting .385 with runners on base, .418 with runners in scoring position and .478 with the bases loaded ... the Beavers' 7-game winning streak from Feb. 26-March 11 was OSU's longest since winning 10 straight from March 28-April 11, 1998 ... with less than one-third of the season played, OSU is already over halfway to its win total of 1999 (19) ... Bryan Ingram leads OSU in multi-hit games with 10, while Joe Gerber is the team leader in multi-RBI games with 9.
LAST WEEK: Oregon State opened its home schedule with 3 wins in 4 games, including beating Western Oregon 9-5 on March 7 on Opening Day at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The Beavers then beat Washington State 8-3 on March 10 and 14-2 on March 11 before their winning streak ended at 7 games with an 11-6 loss to WSU on March 12.
On March 7, OSU dug itself an early 3-0 hole before rallying to a 9-5 win over Western Oregon, its NAIA neighbor from just up U.S. Highway 99W. Getting a rare start, freshman catcher Chris Biles was 3-for-3 with a double, his first collegiate home run and 4 RBIs in the win. Drew Hedges was 3-for-4 for OSU, Zach Gordon was 2-for-3 and Josh Carter was 2-for-5. Thad Johnson earned the win pitching 3 scoreless innings in relief, he gave up 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3.
On March 10, OSU and Washington State managed to play 3 innings before a rain delay, the game was eventually suspended with WSU leading 1-0. When play resumed the morning of March 11, the Beavers rode the pitching of Scott Nicholson to an 8-3 victory. In 6 innings, Nicholson allowed 2 runs on 7 hits and 0 walks, striking out 4. Joe Gerber was 4-for-5 with his first homer of the season and drove in 4 runs, while Brian Barden was 3-for-5 with a triple and Bryan Ingram and Carter were both 2-for-4.
In March 11's regularly-scheduled game, it was Mark Newell's pitching that helped OSU to the 14-2 win. After Nicholson threw the first 2 innings prior to a rain delay, Newell turned in his best performance in almost 3 years as he tossed 6.1 innings and gave up 2 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk while striking out 9. Will Hudson was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles for OSU, while Andy Jarvis and Carter drove in 3 runs each and Hedges, Gerber and Barden all had 2 hits apiece.
On March 12, the Beavers came back from an early 4-run deficit but couldn't hold on in an 11-6 loss. WSU scored 5 times with 2 out in the top of the seventh inning, with all those runs scoring after OSU pitcher James Atwood appeared to have struck out the Cougars' Bookie Gates but the wild pitch eluded catcher Bryan Ingram and Gates reached first base. Barden was 3-for-5 while Hedges and Hudson both had a pair of hits for OSU and Hedges homered.
HEAD COACH PAT CASEY: Pat Casey is in his sixth season as Oregon State's head baseball coach. Casey currently has a record of 159-108-4 with the Beavers for a winning percentage of .594. His career record is 330-221-5, which includes 7 years at George Fox University in Newberg, for a winning percentage of .598.
Casey is the fourth OSU baseball head coach to reach 100 victories at the school, following Ralph Coleman (561), Gene Tanselli (115) and Jack Riley (613). Casey picked up his 100th OSU victory on Feb. 21, 1998 at San Diego.
Casey came to OSU from his alma mater, George Fox, after leading the Bruins to a 171-113-1 record and winning 3 NAIA District 2 titles at the school in Newberg, Ore.
ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATE JOE GERBER: Oregon State first baseman Joe Gerber (Portland, Ore./Grant HS) is coming off one of the finest offensive seasons in school history, and the senior has already begun collecting honors for 2000. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named Gerber to its preseason All-America second team.
This season, Gerber is batting .403 with 1 homer, 12 doubles and 29 RBIs and is hitting .600 with runners in scoring position. Gerber is currently on an 11-game hitting streak, during that streak, he's batting .460 (23-for-50) with 1 homer, 9 doubles and 22 RBIs. Gerber is also on a 59-game errorless streak dating back to early in the 1999 season. He set the OSU record for career doubles on March 12 against Washington State when he hit his 37th.
ALL-TIME RECORD: Oregon State's all-time record in varsity baseball is now 1,642-1,121-15, a winning percentage of .594. The Beavers' all-time win total ranked 40th among all NCAA Division I schools entering the 2000 season.
OSU's all-time record in conference games is now 740-518, a winning percentage of .588.
To break the numbers down one step further, since starting varsity baseball in 1907, the Beavers have scored 18,162 runs and allowed 13,793 runs. That's an average score of 6.54-4.97.
In its 90 seasons of varsity baseball, OSU has had 67 winning seasons, the Beavers finished at .500 another 4 seasons. The Beavers have won 20 pennants through the years. Oregon State began fielding a varsity baseball team in 1907 and has failed to field a team only 3 times since then - in 1917 due to World War I and in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.
GOSS STADIUM AT COLEMAN FIELD: Oregon State has been playing on the same site since starting varsity baseball in 1907, making Goss Stadium at Coleman Field the oldest diamond in the Pacific-10 and one of the oldest in the country.
In 90 seasons at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, the Beavers are 855-362-1 all-time at home for a winning percentage of .702. Since the start of the 1993 season, OSU is 104-33 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field for a winning percentage of .759.
Goss Stadium was added to Coleman Field over the winter of 1998-99. The ballpark holds 2,000 fans, with the main grandstand seating 1,500 of those. The structure includes a press box, concession/lobby area, dugouts, locker rooms, restrooms and storage areas.
The playing surface has been completely rebuilt recently, with the infield undergoing renovation in 1996 and the outfield in 1998.
ALL-TIME HOME OPENERS: Oregon State won its 2000 home opener on March 7, beating Western Oregon 9-5 at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The Beavers are 73-18 all-time in home openers, but last season's 5-2 loss to Southern California broke a string of 11 straight wins on Opening Day at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The Beavers have won 27 of their last 30 home openers.
BEAVER ATTENDANCE: Throught four home dates, Oregon State is averaging 519 fans per date. OSU averaged 672 fans per home date in 1999 and drew three crowds of 1,000 or more for home games that season.
In the past 2-plus seasons, OSU has drawn 9 crowds of 1,000 or more after having just 5 crowds of 1,000 or more in the first 8 seasons of the 1990s.
OREGON STATE BASEBALL TICKETS: Season tickets for Oregon State's 22-date home schedule are now on sale. The tickets, which are $100 per seat, guarantee the same theater-style seat at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field for all Beaverhome games in 2000.
Single-game reserved seat tickets for OSU baseball are $6 each. Single-game general admission tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students through high school and senior citizens age 62 and over.
OSU students are admitted free with their All-Sports Pass. If they have not purchased an All-Sports Pass, OSU students are admitted for $1 with their student identification card.
For more information, call the OSU athletic ticket office at 1-800-GO BEAVS.
TELEVISION BRINGS OUT BEST IN BEAVERS : Oregon State has been slated for a national cable television game in 2000, that coming when the Beavers play host to Stanford on May 6 in a game that will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net. The schedule for telecasts in the Pacific Northwest has yet to be announced by Fox Sports Net.
Oregon State has played on national cable television twice in the last 2 seasons, and the Beavers are 2-0 in those games. In 1999, OSU dedicated Goss Stadium at Coleman Field by beating California 11-5. In 1998, the Beavers beat Arizona 3-2 in a game marking the first visit to Corvallis by a Southern Division team in 27 years.
Oregon State wrapped up the 1990s with a 25-13 record in televised games, including 7-1 in national TV games.
OREGON STATE RADIO BROADCASTS: Oregon State baseball will again be broadcast this spring on KLOO-AM (1340) in Corvallis, with almost the entire Beaver schedule on the air. Some games may be pre-empted due to programming conflicts. Mike Parker, the voice of the Beavers, will handle the play-by-play duties along with John Warren and Kip Carlson.
This weekend, OSU's games against Texas A&M and Ohio State will be broadcast but the Beavers' contests against Central Michigan will not be on the air. However, play-by-play accounts of all tournament games will be available on Texas A&M's website at www.aggieathletics.com
OREGON STATE DUGOUT CLUB: The Oregon State Dugout Club is an organization devoted to the support of Beaver baseball. The group is open to the general public, dues are $75 per year.
Also, anyone entering the OSU Dugout Club Golf Tournament automatically gains club membership. This year's tournament will be held June 12 at Tokatee Golf Club in Blue River.
Over the past several seasons, projects financed by the OSU Dugout Club include batting cages at Coleman Field, helping finance trips that upgrade the quality of the Beavers' non-league schedule, and carpeting the baseball locker room in Gill Coliseum.
For more information on the OSU Dugout Club, call the OSU baseball office at (541) 737-5738.
BEAVERS FACE TOP-FLIGHT SCHEDULE: Again this spring, Oregon State will play one of the nation's most challenging schedules. The Beavers have 13 games scheduled against teams in the March 13 USA Today coaches poll - No. 3 Stanford, No. 10 Arizona State, No. 15 Southern California, No. 16 Fresno State and No. 25 Nevada. OSU has 2 more games against a team that received votes in the poll but did not make the top 25 - Ohio State.
BEAVERS AMONG CAREER LEADERS : Current Oregon State players on or near the school's career top 10 lists through March 12:
BATTING AVERAGE (minimum 260 at-bats) 1. Jay Dean, 1952-55 .379 2. A.J. Marquardt, 1993-94 .373 3. Ben Bertrand, 1996-98 .358 4. Dan Cunningham, 1971-73 .354 5. Dave Brundage, 1984-86 .350 (tie) Mike Leone, 1996-97 .350 7. Twink Pederson, 1956-58 .346 (tie) Rob Colley, 1998-99 .346 9. Jason Akina, 1992-93 .342 10. Chris Wakeland, 1995-96 .341 > * Joe Gerber, 1997-present .374 <> * Drew Hedges, 1997-present .350 < *="" -="" cannot="" join="" list="" until="" career="" is="" complete.="" at-bats="" 10.="" bryan="" ganter,="" 1984-87="" 557=""> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 417 <> Joe Gerber, 1997-present 417 < hits="" 10.="" tim="" lambert,="" 1985-88="" 165=""> Joe Gerber, 1997-present 156 <> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 146 < runs="" 10.="" troy="" schader,="" 1997-99="" 117=""> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 109 <> Joe Gerber, 1997-present 106 < doubles=""> 1. Joe Gerber, 1997-present 37 2. Ken Bowen, 1984-87 36 3. Troy Schader, 1997-99 35 4. Tim Lambert, 1985-88 34 5. Bob McNair, 1978-80 32 6. Mickey Riley, 1980-83 31 (tie) Jeff Brauning, 1988-89 31 8. Pete Rowe, 1974-77 30 (tie) Quinn Williams, 1983-86 30 (tie) Dave Schoppe, 1988-91 30 > Drew Hedges, 1997-present 28 < triples="" 7.="" lute="" barnes,="" 1967-69="" 7="" (tie)="" bob="" beall,="" 1968-70="" 7="" (tie)="" bob="" mcnair,="" 1978-80="" 7="" (tie)r.a.="" neitzel,="" 1988-90="" 7=""> Eric Stark, 1998-present 3 < home="" runs="" 1.="" al="" hunsinger,="" 1980-81="" 28="" 2.="" bob="" mcnair,="" 1978-80="" 27="" (tie)="" jim="" wilson,="" 1980-82="" 27="" 4.="" joe="" gerber,="" 1997-present="" 26="">< 5.="" matt="" bailie,="" 1995-98="" 25="" 6.="" steve="" smith,="" 1981-83="" 21="" (tie)="" david="" schmidt,="" 1994-96="" 21="" (tie)="" ben="" bertrand,="" 1996-98="" 21="" (tie)="" troy="" schader,="" 1997-99="" 21="" 10.="" ken="" bowen,="" 1984-87="" 19=""> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 12 < runs="" batted="" in="" 1.="" matt="" bailie,="" 1995-98="" 144="" 2.="" ken="" bowen,="" 1984-87="" 131=""> (tie) Joe Gerber, 1997-present 131 < 4.="" bob="" mcnair,="" 1978-80="" 130="" 5.="" ryan="" lipe,="" 1995-98="" 126="" 6.="" troy="" schader,="" 1997-99="" 118="" 7.="" pete="" rowe,="" 1974-77="" 110="" 8.="" al="" hunsinger,="" 1980-81="" 105="" (tie)="" jim="" wilson,="" 1980-82="" 105="" (tie)="" ben="" bertrand,="" 1996-98="" 105=""> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 92 < walks="" 10.="" kevin="" hooker,="" 1991-95="" 94=""> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 75 <> Joe Gerber, 1997-present 72 < total="" bases="" 1.="" ken="" bowen,="" 1984-87="" 303="" 2.="" bob="" mcnair,="" 1978-80="" 285=""> 3. Joe Gerber, 1997-present 271 < 4.="" matt="" bailie,="" 1995-98="" 269="" 5.="" ryan="" lipe,="" 1995-98="" 255="" 6.="" troy="" schader,="" 1997-99="" 254="" 7.="" tim="" lambert,="" 1985-88="" 246="" 8.="" pete="" rowe,="" 1974-77="" 243="" 9.="" dave="" brundage,="" 1984-86="" 242="" 10.="" bryan="" ganter,="" 1984-87="" 236=""> Drew Hedges, 1997-present 214 < slugging="" percentage="" (minimum="" 260="" at-bats)="" 1.="" jim="" wilson,="" 1980-82="" .640="" 2.="" al="" hunsinger,="" 1980-81="" .639="" 3.="" ben="" bertrand,="" 1996-98="" .631="" 4.="" a.j.="" marquardt,="" 1993-94="" .578="" 5.="" chris="" wakeland,="" 1995-96="" .569="" 6.="" mike="" leone,="" 1996-97="" .555="" 7.="" bob="" mcnair,="" 1978-80="" .535="" 8.="" chris="" newman,="" 1980-84="" .520="" 9.="" david="" schmidt,="" 1994-96="" .513="" 10.="" dave="" brundage,="" 1984-86="" .507=""> * Joe Gerber, 1997-present .650 <> * Drew Hedges, 1997-present .513 < *="" -="" cannot="" join="" list="" until="" career="" is="" complete.="" wins="" 10.="" scott="" christman,="" '91-93="" 21="" (21-8)=""> Mark Newell, 1996-present 14 (13-8) SAVES 1. Mike Boire, 1996-98 10 2. Jim Grove, 1979-82 9 3. Dave Schoppe, 1989-91 6 4. Ron Daulton, 1984-86 5 (tie) Tim Lambert, 1985-88 5 6. Jeff Post, 1989-92 4 (tie) Scott Christman, 1991-93 4 > (tie) Mark Newell, 1996-present 4 STRIKEOUTS 10. Andrew Checketts, 1996-98 197 > Mark Newell, 1996-present 153 <>
